Hearts
by visbot
Summary: Amy's having a rough time after Colin's surgery. Laynie's there to help.


Title: Hearts. Author: visbot@hotmail.com  
  
Pairing: Amy/Laynie YES! Femslash! Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own squat. Wish I did.  
  
--  
  
Amy hung onto Grover, crying, wiping her tears on him. Wrapping her arms tightly around Grover she squeezed, trying to use it as a sponge to soak away her pain like how it soaked her tears. A sudden pang of guilt hit her as she looked down at Grover, a present from Laynie. Its usual blue comforting form suddenly disgusted her. Closing her eyes she threw Grover violently across the room, hitting the wall with a muffled thud.  
  
Crawling slowly along the floor, Amy climbed into her bed, twisting herself into her sheets and blankets, drying her tears again. Sixteen days.  
  
Thirteen days was the difference between happiness and utter despair.  
  
Three days was the difference between deliverance and back to despondency.  
  
In the course of those thirteen horribly long days plus three unfortunately short wonderful days Amy's life completely collapsed. It rolled up and down the roller coaster of life, only to come back up before finally crashing down in a matter of sixteen days.  
  
Three hundred and eighty six hours.  
  
Twenty-three thousand one hundred and seventy four minutes.  
  
One million three hundred and ninety thousand four hundred and forty six seconds.  
  
On the day to celebrate independence Amy was ironically forced into it. Colin Hart, her friend for years, her boyfriend for months, her love for weeks all but kicked her in the face with his non-declaration of love. But she could have handled that. He could have simply been afraid, or maybe it was too soon. But they would have worked it out given time. Unfortunately Amy's destiny lay elsewhere.  
  
Amy's life crashed before her eyes, literally in the form of a car wreck. Her first love wrapped his truck into a tree, plunging him into a coma. Quite simply shattering her picturesque life.  
  
The other passenger: Amy's brother suffered only minor injures and was released in the first week with only cuts, scratches and short term memory loss. Colin on the other hand was still in a coma and the doctors; despite their training and expertise, they had no similar miracle for Colin.  
  
Life seemed to have hit rock bottom. Amy never truly realized just how much she loved him till he saw him lying there on his bed, tubes and machines attached to him, the steady sound of beeping and respirators. She would have easily given herself up to replace Colin in that room.  
  
Time passed slowly during those thirteen days. Most were spent at the hospital in a sleep deprived haze, waiting for any sign of improvement. Like the rest of the Harts, Laynie included, the Abbots they all stayed at the hospital setting up camp in the waiting rooms, in make shift vigils for Colin.  
  
The days were all the same: wake from the painful sleeping bags they'd drape over various furniture, only to find Colin's condition the same. Coffee was served all around, even the non-drinkers started pounding them back like pills. Lunch was the usual hospital fare with the rare rescue of a Momma Joy's care package. The afternoon was spent much like most of the non-sleeping and eating hours; huddled around in the room, staring blankly at walls, the occasional outburst in tears. Evenings were slightly better, there were more people around and the hospital was busier, and seeming to break up the drudgery of time. Most people handled the situation well under the circumstances, being composed and constructive and helpful to those around them.  
  
Amy was not.  
  
Among the entire group she was the worst off. Colin's untimely coma simply destroyed her. It had gotten worse and worse ever since she finally saw Colin's mangled body through the glass. She had reached the point where she had to be lightly sedated in a room by the doctors after her twelfth mental breakdown. Against all advice Amy, wouldn't leave the hospital, not even to go home for change of clothes and a long shower. Watches were created to ensure that someone was with her at all times. Obviously most of the task was taken up Laynie, the youngest and thus most qualified of the group.  
  
They spent a lot of time just talking or watching TV. But occasionally Amy would act up and start bawling her eyes out when something reminded her of Colin. Which was less often than anyone would have thought, considering she was always staring at Laynie, Colin's sister.  
  
To most people, Laynie and Colin were very different looking, but Amy could see the similarities. She noticed how their eyes were virtually identical, or how they both smiled the exact same way, or how they both inadvertently blushed when given the slightest of compliments. Times when Amy saw Colin in Laynie were when Amy hurt the most, when she would cry like a child whose favorite toy was brutally ripped from its grasp.  
  
Laynie was never good at speeches or saying things to make people feel better, so when she saw Amy cry, and cry, and cry, she didn't know what to do. All she could think about was just to wrap her arms around Amy and try to cradle her to sleep like a baby. This worked well, almost too well.  
  
Laynie's presence and comfort seemed to be the only thing that was able to keep Amy on the level. Which meant that she had to spend almost all her time with Amy. Not that that was a bad thing, taking care of someone kept one's mind occupied, instead of thinking of your personal problems, or the image of your brother unconscious with tubes running out of his body. Amy was quickly adjusting and rejecting the sedatives given to her for sleeping. It was only after two nights sleeplessness did it dawn on Laynie how to calm and relax Amy.  
  
On the third night, Laynie climbed into bed with Amy, wrapping her arms around her waist and pulling her body close. The feel of Laynie against her back and Laynie's breath on the back of her neck brought back instant memories of Colin. After another micro meltdown Amy fell into deep sleep, with memories of Colin holding her as they slept.  
  
Amy's need for Laynie to be with her, to hold her, was almost equal to the need Laynie's need for Amy, to be there for her, to occupy her mind. and body.  
  
The thirteen days of drugs, sleepless nights, crying and depression ended abruptly later that morning. Waking up slowly with Colin's body against her, she turned and opened her eyes, and was face to face with Colin's dazzling green eyes. Closing her eyes again, Amy leaned in and pressed her lips against Colin's. A warm relief washed over her as she placed her arms around Colin's body.  
  
The morning haze in her mind cleared quickly as a tongue darted inside her mouth, their tongues entangled in a slippery dance. Amy never remembered how amazing a kisser Colin was. In fact, Colin was never like this. The cobwebs in her mind blew away in a hurricane as she realized that she was still in the hospital bed. Her tongue was wrestling with her boyfriend's sister's tongue.  
  
Quickly and reluctantly Amy pulled away from Laynie. A crimson red crept into both their faces. Studying Laynie's face, Amy realized a beauty that had escaped her before, the same amazing features that drew her to Colin  
  
Staring deeply into Laynie, she saw the same love and desire that used to sparkle in Colin's eyes. Forgetting all taboos and leaving her broken heart behind, she plunged back in, wrapping her arms around Laynie and slipped her tongue into Laynie's mouth. Laynie replied by roaming hands over her body, a tentative and shaking hand slipping under Amy's shirt and underneath her bra.  
  
The happiness lasted for exactly three days.  
  
Seventy four hours.  
  
Four thousand four hundred and fifty three minutes.  
  
Two hundred and sixty seven thousand one hundred and eighty eight seconds.  
  
In that brief time Amy found a whole new definition of love. A fulfilling one. Not that she didn't love Colin, she still prayed for him and sat by him every day, but Laynie offered her something else. Something she wasn't sure what it was. She offered her joy.  
  
Laynie offered her joy in a time when her life was completely devoid of it.  
  
And like the first Hart she loved, the second was also ripped away from her.  
  
Leaving her with the one distant Hart, one broken Hart, and two broken hearts. 


End file.
